Dunno why, but Strange Days, one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time, bombed quite nastily back when it stormed into theaters 15 years ago. Audiences didn't really understand it despite Kathryn Bigelow's excellent direction and some rather capable performances from Ralph Fiennes and pretty much everyone else involved.
However, due to the film's financial failure, it's only natural that it's equally fantastic soundtrack would get lost somewhere in the details and accumulating dust. Quite the fucking travesty too, as this is one of the best soundtracks ever assembled for a motion picture, featuring not only vintage Tricky but atleast five or six amazingly experimental bands & artists who only recorded music for this film. Hence, along with being a fantastic companion to any dystopian cyberpunk ideas you might be spinnin' up in your heads, it also serves as a top-notch LP stuffed to the brim with one-of-a-kind tracks that you can't find anywhere else, two of which are Deep Forest collaborating with friggin' Peter Gabriel of all people!
Eclecticism is both the strongest and weakest element of these proceedings, hence the excess of labels. Pieces like 'Selling Jesus' and the mindblowing 'No White Clouds' merge punkish alt-rock with punk and jazz respectively, while Jeriko One and Tricky counteract with more contemporary hip-hop measures, culiminating into the glorious downtempo moments from Lori Carson ['Fall In The Light'] and Peter Gabriel's bringing the ethnic house dancibility of Deep Forest to unprecedented grandeur ['Coral Lounge', 'While the Earth Sleeps']. But then again, if you have gotten anything else off this blog so far, a little stylistic flexibility should be right up most of your alleys anyway.
Get this now and then go rent or stream or w/e the movie you lazy blighters. Or be a dick and don't see it. This soundtrack is going to kick your asses either way!
Listen Here - "No White Clouds"
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